It has been 90 days since FirstPlay launched on PSN in the UK. The significance of that is that those of us who took out subscriptions on day one now need to decide whether to renew them or not.
Content wise, for me FirstPlay got off to a slow start before hitting a low point with FirstPlay 004 not having any review content. Then things seemed to be getting better through 005 and 006.
The next four issues after that brought the ‘free’ minis from Halfbrick, but aside from that all the way from 006 to 013 FirstPlay does not seem to have continued to develop.
So what could they do to make it better? The first, most obvious move would be to make their content, especially the reviews, more timely. We know they can do it, they did with their International Cricket 2010 review, getting it in FirstPlay before the online embargo date was reached.
I would also like to see more features. With Future Publishing behind them why are we not seeing videos of footage from the floor of E3, developer interviews from the likes of GDC Canada? The only ‘feature’ we have had so far was a short PlayStation Move sketch in 004.
It also seem to be lacking in personality. While they have done a good job in recruiting someone with a distinctive voice, Lucy Porter, which is a hit for me and Katy and a miss for Chris, having an on-screen presenter, even if just to introduce the episode works well for both Pulse and Qore in the US. (I dare say me and Katy would be quite happy for Lucy’s diminutive form to grace our screens.)
The biggest cause for doubt in my mind when it comes to renewing my FirstPlay subscription though is the recently launched PlayStation Plus (PS+). A year of FirstPlay costs £35.96 (4 x £8.99) and a year of PS+ costs only a little more at £39.99.
With PS+ giving you access not only to its ‘subscription games’ but hour-long game trials and early access to demos, betas, etc., FirstPlay’s previews and reviews become less valuable. What would you value more in helping you make a buying decision, a five minute video review or an hour or more hands-on with the game?
Of course over a month FirstPlay will show you more games than PS+ will so it is the age old breadth versus depth debate. Despite the promises of a certain type of spam email there is no easy way to get both.
Would I would like to see though are bigger, fortnightly episodes of FirstPlay with an on-screen presenter. Essentially a premium version of Pulse with reviews and reportage. That might win me back.
But what about those of you who have subscribed or have at least bought one or more episodes of FirstPlay, what would you do to improve it and make it more compelling? Will you be resubscribing?
As an aside, now the FirstPlay team have woken up and publish a list of their contents on the EU Blog prior to it arriving on the PSN Store each week I have stopped posting the contents on F5 Wednesday’s.
Paranoimia
I bought a subscription at launch to show some support, and it’s been okay. I didn’t bother with the minis as I’ve bought some previously and they’re just… lacking.
Lucy Porter’s voice annoys the hell out of me, and there’s a lot of content I’m just not interested in. And what I am interested in, there isn’t enough of.
I cancelled my subscription a few weeks back; it has now expired, and I won’t be renewing – I’ll just buy episodes here and there when there’s something I want to see.
As has been mentioned by others, I think a weekly edition is a little too ambitious in terms of content. Larger editions fortnightly or monthly would be better. Or maybe they should have stayed with the OPM HD website, as they initially planned, and just put content up as and when it was available.
gnipper
Same here, subscribed to support, found myself never watching them as more up to date content can be found on the ‘net and I dont have to sit through adverts, silly lengthy animations etc. to get to it.
Its a shame, as could’ve been great, but I wont be renewing my subscription either.
commuterzombie
I didn’t get a subscription until a couple of weeks in. Overall I enjoy the episode each week, and for me it’s a big plus seeing game reviews and previews each week in HD on the big screen. I enjoy the script (though it does fall flat on occasion) and I don’t feel ripped-off at £8.99 for 90 days. That said I’d be happier if the reviews of new releases were a lot more timely.
Playstation Plus has changed things as well. I think I might let the firstplay subscription lapse (just picking up the odd episode that interests me) and see what free games (and 1 hour trial games) appear on PS+ for the next couple of months before I subscribe to either. At the moment PS+ is just offering me games I already own and forty quid is a bit much for auto-updates.
DJ-Katy
LOL, I saw the headline and just said “Don’t get me started”.
Then I read the article. Greg, Lucy Porter is a paradox. I *love* short girls and she is pure pretty, really sweet-looking, but in my first rant I do believe I described her voice as something like “a commoner who wants to make me scratch my eyeballs out” or words to that effect. Her voice when combined with her face is lovely, but I didn’t recognise her from her voice alone in the beta until someone pointed out it was her, and if nobody had ever pointed out I would hate the narration.
So yes, we need her fine figure on display, preferably dubbed over by Christopher Walken doing the reviews :D
Watchful
Ah, okay I stand partially corrected. I am used to hearing her on the radio so I guess I am more used to hearing her disembodied voice and associating it with her physical loveliness. :)
Tuffcub
I reckon me and Katy should present Firstplay.
DJ-Katy
Hell yes :D Although my voice is even worse than Lucy’s.
I get FP for free every week and I haven’t even watched the last 3 episodes properly – it’s THAT entertaining.
tinman9
If it was free I would consider. Too many other gaming magazines (Edge superb), or other freebie webzines which get my interest first.
Charmed_Fanatic
It will probably be PS+ or FP, many people will pick PS+
gazzagb
I never suscribed in the first place, only ever bought one (Ep 008 with the Blast Off Mini) and was pretty disapointed. The content just seems to be lacking so much, would much rather spend a fiver on a magazine.
Vampire Azrial
I subscribed and wished I hadn’t, it’s lost any appeal it had, the reviews are old, the preview videos/screen shot’s can be found on the web long before they appear on FP, you can sometimes even see video footage of preview games on PSN for free before FP has it, the exclusive downloads have now become crap (the same Back Breaker demo for 4 weeks running, an old demo that’s been available on the 360 for about 2 months, and US footballs games aren’t the best selling games in the UK, especially average ones) I’d rather they didn’t include the crappy demo for yet another week running, and included either some demo of the magazine cover disk or more video footage, they completely missed E3, I’m sure they could have included loads of footage /interviews. I defiantly won’t resubscribe, I’ll just stick to PS+, much better option.
PoorPaddy89
I wasn’t going to resubscribe, but my internet died before I could cancel my subs. Had a nice email from the PlayStation Store telling me that I’d resubscribed for another 90 days. Joy.